wrongful death

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

• n. A death that is caused by the wrongful act or negligence of another and that serves as the basis for a civil action for damages on behalf of the decedent's heirs.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• n. a death that results from a wrongful act or from negligence; a death that can serve as the basis for a civil action for damages on behalf of the dead person's family or heirs